Old Trafford may play host to what could be the biggest British boxing match of all time, after super-middleweight champion Carl Froch agreed to face George Groves.
Nottingham’s Froch, 36, came back from a first-round knockdown to win by TKO in the ninth when the pair met last November, retaining his WBA and IBF titles.
The champion seemed reluctant to face-off against his heated rival again, citing Groves’ disrespectful attitude in the build up to the first fight as a reason not grant the rematch.
Groves can now breathe a sigh of relief as Froch-Groves II, which is expected to break box-office record for a British fight, has now been officially confirmed.
Referee Howard Foster was widely criticised for what many, including Londoner Groves, 25, believed to be a premature stoppage in the first outing.
Groves subsequently took his case up with the International Boxing Federation, who ordered ordered Froch to fight Groves again within 90 days or risk losing his belt.
Despite this, much uncertainty still surrounded the possible rematch, as Froch recently suggested he was close to agreeing a fight with Mexican Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in Las Vegas.
Froch has also been angling for a rematch with the unbeaten American, Andre Ward, who outclassed the Nottingham brawler when the pair met in 2011.
Froch-Groves II will take place at a football stadium on Saturday, May 31 , with Old Trafford and Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium being suggested as possible venues.
Under the terms of the IBF’s rematch directive, challenger Groves was only entitled to 15% of the purse, though Hearn Froch had agreed to shift on the percentage.
Froch’s victory in the first fight took his all-time career record to 32 wins from 34 fights, while the defeat was Groves’ first in 20 professional bouts.
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